Four new packages for DSTV subscribers effective Nov. 5

The Starter package offers 90 channels, including Akwaaba Magic, Novela Plus, Africa Magic Epic, Cartoon Network, ZeeWorld and M-Net Movies.  

The Select package, which costs GH¢100 monthly, provides 123 channels, including M-Net Movies, Africa Magic Showcase, CNN and WWE.  

It offers more content than the existing Family package, which costs GH¢188 monthly. 

The Sports package, priced at GH¢250 monthly, provides access to the company’s full football offering, including the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and La Liga. 

The Ultimate package, at GH¢570 monthly, combines premium sports and entertainment content, including golf, Formula One, tennis, MotoGP and rugby. 

The new packages will replace the existing Padi, Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium packages, with the company describing the new prices as permanent rather than promotional. 

The new packages were announced at a joint news conference by Multichoice Ghana and Canal+ Group and the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations in Accra on Monday. 

Announcing the packages, Mr Alex Okyere, MultiChoice and Canal+ Country Chief Executive Officer, said the new packages were designed to meet the entertainment needs of households with different budgets and preferences. 

He said the Sports package would significantly reduce the cost of accessing the company’s full football offering, which currently required a Compact subscription costing GH¢563 monthly. 

Similarly, the Ultimate package would replace Premium, which costs GH¢854 monthly, while the Select package would provide more channels than Family at a lower price. 

He also explained that the new prices and packages were permanent rather than promotional.  

“These are the new packages and prices that are here to stay,” he said. 

The initiative, which took effect on October 1, 2025, followed negotiations aimed at addressing concerns and about DSTV subscription prices and making the service more affordable for Ghanaians. 

Mr Sam George, Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, said the new pricing structure followed engagements between the Ministry and the company that began in June last year to improve affordability and protect consumers. 

He said the reduction in the cost of accessing football was particularly significant for some Ghanaian households, given the popularity of the sport. 

The Minister expressed government’s commitment to clampdown on illegal streaming channels, indicating that it was preparing to intensify efforts to combat television piracy, with the proposed measures reviewed by the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Cyber Security Authority. 

He said the Ministry and its relevant agencies were awaiting the final legal opinion from the Attorney-General’s Department before implementing the measures, including action against illegal streaming devices and resources used to distribute pirated content. 

He said making legitimate television services more affordable was essential to the anti-piracy campaign, adding that the government would ensure that consumers had access to reasonably priced alternatives. 

The Minister said a pricing committee involving the Ministry, the NCA and other relevant agencies would continue monitoring subscription prices to protect consumers and ensure that future adjustments received appropriate regulatory scrutiny. 

He said the arrangements would also prevent unilateral price increases by the company, with any proposed revisions subject to engagement with the relevant authorities. 

Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng, Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Canal+ for the Rest of Africa, said the new packages demonstrated the benefits of collaboration between the Government and the company. 

He said the merger between Canal+ and MultiChoice had created opportunities to achieve economies of scale, allowing the company to pass some of the benefits on to consumers. 

Dr Modimoeng, however, rejected allegations of overpricing against Ghanaian consumers, maintaining that differences in subscription prices across countries were influenced by macroeconomic conditions, currency performance, operating costs and the purchasing power of consumers. 

Therefore, he said that converting subscription prices in other countries into Ghana cedis did not necessarily provide an accurate measure of affordability, since economic conditions and the effects of inflation varied across markets. 

He welcomed the government’s commitment to combating piracy, explaining that such illegal distribution of television content deprived producers, actors, and other professionals in the creative industry of income. 

Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey